Tijuca National Park

Map of the Parque Nacional da Tijuca

The wooded area

The Tijuca National Park ( Portuguese Parque Nacional da Tijuca , PNT, [tiˈʒuːkɐ] ) is located in the urban area of Rio de Janeiro and covers 39.72 km² (primeval) forest area of the Floresta da Tijuca . It was created on June 6, 1961.

history

Much had already been destroyed for coffee plantations, but space was restored to the original vegetation of the Mata Atlântica since the middle of the 18th century . In 1861, the Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II gave the order to reforest the area behind the Botanical Garden , albeit with foreign trees . A few years later he had a network of paths and lookout points built, Vista Chinesa in Chinese style, Mesa do Imperador and Dona Marta . 100 years later, the area was elevated to a national park in what was then the state of Guanabara and is now administered by the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (IMCBio).

Several roads lead through the forest to the lookout points, hiking trails lead to caves and waterfalls. Notable peaks are the Pedra da Gávea and the 1,022 m high Pico da Tijuca . Rio's landmark Corcovado is also located in the park.